Bill Castner

Attorney General Anne Milgram plans to leave her post early next year, regardless of the outcome of the gubernatorial election, sources say.  If Gov. Jon Corzine wins re-election, Democratic sources say that Edward McBride, the Governor's Chief of Staff, will be on the short list to replace Milgram.  Other possible candidates include: Corzine's Chief Counsel, William Castner; Seton Hall Law School Dean Patrick Hobbs; Kris Kolluri, the Executive Director of the state Schools Development Authority; state Comptroller Matthew Boxer; Public Advocate Ronald Chen; and Glenn Grant, the Acting Administrative Director of the state courts.

Back when Bill Castner was running Joe Roberts' team, there was never any question that the Assembly Democrats dominated Dick Codey's Senate Democratic staff.  But now that Castner has moved to the Executive branch, Team Codey has so obliterated the Assembly Dems that officials were forced to invoke the "mercy rule" to limit further embarrassment to the lower house's majority staff.

Last night, Senate Democrats defeated Assembly Democrats 27-10 in a Golden Dome league softball game that was cut off after five innings because they were leading by more than fifteen runs.  The Senate Democrats scored eleven runs in the second inning alone, and held the Assembly team scoreless for the 3rd and 4th innings. Yoshi Manale, Matt Halpin, Todd Leon and Jay Gonzalez all hit home runs.

Sources say that Castner, now Gov. Jon Corzine's chief counsel, witnessed the carnage as a spectator.

"This win has been a long time coming for our team," said team captain Doug Wheeler, a former Senate Democratic staffer who remains loyal to Codey.  "Every year, our match-up with the Assembly Dems is one of the most intense games of the season, with the Assembly eking out a win by a couple of runs each time.  This year, we jumped to an early lead, made some great plays in the field, and came away with a little slice of retribution."

If Lisa Jackson becomes the Director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, sources suggest that Governor Jon Corzine could tap his Chief Counsel, Edward McBride, as his new Chief of Staff.  Other sources say that McBride's replacement might be Bill Castner, the outgoing Executive Director of the Assembly Majority staff.

BILL CARUSO NAMED NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ASSEMBLY MAJORITY OFFICE

Speaker Names Veteran Congressional Staffer to Replace Departing Bill Castner

(TRENTON) – Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr. today announced Bill Castner will leave his post as executive director of the Assembly Majority Office in January and will be succeeded by Bill Caruso, U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews’ longtime chief of staff.

Caruso will become the office’s eighth executive director. Castner is joining one of New Jersey’s premier law firms, Gibbons P.C., as a Director.

Assembly Majority Executive Director Bill Castner will leave his post in January to become a Director at Gibbons P.C. – the law firm of his longtime mentor Chief Justice James Zazzali. Gibbons is ranked among the nation's top 200 law firms by the American Lawyer.

Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts is expected to announce tomorrow that Bill Castner will leave his post as Executive Director of the Assembly Majority Office in January and will be succeeded Bill Caruso, Congressman Rob Andrews' long-time chief of staff. 

Assembly Democratic Executive Director Bill Castner is short listed for Rob Andrews' House seatSixteen Democrats are under consideration for the first district congressional seat that Rob Andrews is vacating to run for the U.S. Senate, including Camille Andrews, the Congressman’s wife, according to a list sent out today by South Jersey Democratic leader George Norcross.

On the official Norcross short list:

Among Chief Justice James Zazzali's appointees today to a Supreme Court committee that will overhaul the legal profession's continuing education standards are Assembly Majority Executive Director Bill Castner and James Lance, twin brother of Senate Minority Leader Leonard Lance. Former Supreme Court Justice Peter Verniero will chair the panel. This is not the first time Castner served on a Supreme Court Committee: former Chief Justice Deborah Poritz appointed Castner, Zazzali's former clerk, to a committee that resolved a dispute between Legal Services of New Jersey and the state's financial services industry in 2005.

For Release:
January 4, 2006

ROBERTS APPOINTS BILL CASTNER
AS MAJORITY OFFICE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Martorony to Serve as Special Assistant to Roberts

(TRENTON) -- Assembly Majority Leader Joseph J. Roberts Jr. today announced the appointment of William J. Castner, Jr., Esq., as the new Executive Director for the Assembly Majority Office.
Roberts also announced that Gene Martorony, the current executive director for the Assembly Majority, will remain on staff and serve as Special Assistant to the Speaker.